Although comebacks are rare in sports, especially at the global level, some athletes still announce their return after a break. And it is a thrilling prospect for fans of the particular sport to experience their favorite athlete competing in major meets after announcing their retirement. Michael Phelps made a similar return to competitive swimming after retiring from the sport in 2012.

The most decorated Olympian announced his retirement after the London Olympics. However, Phelps re-entered the drug testing pool for international meets in November 2013, hinting at the possible return of the champion to the sport.

However, he officially announced his return to swimming in April 2014 at the pre-meet press conference of Arena Grand Prix, Mesa.

Phelps’ return to swimming and passion for golf

During the conference, media personnel asked various questions about Phelps’ career goals. A journalist from the US daily asked Michael if golf was a substitute sport for him. Moreover, the reporter inquired if the 28-time Olympic medalist distanced himself from golf because he could not turn it into a prospective career choice.

However, Phelps had just the perfect reply to this, and he kept a very calm demeanor while replying to the reporter’s question.

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Responding to the journalist’s question, Phelps said, “No, I mean it’s I love the game. You know it is a very fun game, it’s a very challenging game. But I mean I obviously have a lot of passion for the sport of swimming, and you know golf is something that I will be able to do for the rest of my life.”

“And there still is a lot of work that needs to be done in that sport for me to be able to get to where I want to go, even after hitting 20,000 golf balls in six months. So I mean that that’ll always still be there,” added the five-time Olympian, emphasizing that he is still new to the sport and has a long way to cover to make it an alternate career option.

However, Phelps also maintained that he is interested in golf and working toward making progress in the sport. He also posits that golf is a sport that he will be able to pursue most of his life. Yet the same cannot be said for swimming, as there is a small window when athletes reach their peak.

Is Michael Phelps substituting golf for swimming?

Phelps also revealed that he was competing in his foundation golf event following the Arena Grand Prix at Mesa. Phelps’ jovial expression during the conference confirms that he was eagerly looking forward to competing in both the meets with much gusto.

Perhaps, Michael is not working towards making golf his substitute for swimming. An athlete may be equally passionate about two or more sports. But one sport can never replace another, especially when the person in question is the GOAT of the former.

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With that said, Michael is certainly enthusiastic about a career in golf. But his contributions to swimming are what people will remember him by until he surpasses Tiger Woods to become the greatest in both sports.